tough news.

What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been

May 06, 1997|By Devin Rose.

"Just Say Yes." Wouldn`t you flip if that became a slogan about drugs? These days, mainstream society opposes the use of mind-altering drugs. From scientists to teachers to preachers to kids -whether we`re talking about tobacco, alcohol, cocaine or heroin - we are in a "Just Say No" age. And you probably can`t imagine it any other way.

But our society`s attitudes have changed a lot over time. And that`s the point a new exhibit makes. "Altered States: Alcohol and Other Drugs in America," at the Chicago Historical Society, walks you through our nation`s history with mind-altering substances.

The exhibit isn`t saying drugs are cool. It shows that, even as people`s attitudes about drugs have swayed over the decades, science has steadily proven the harmful effects of drugs.

We encourage you to check out this exhibit for yourself; after all, knowledge is power. But go looking for fascinating info, not flashy appearances; you`ll basically be reading info on walls and looking at drug paraphernalia, drawings and a few TV screens. Here`s a peek at what we learned on our visit:

-- In the early 1600s,tobacco was an important cash crop in the U.S. colonies. It was even used as money. Alcohol was also popular. It was cheap and easy to make, and clean water was scarce (better to drink alcohol than drink water and get cholera, people figured).

-- In the 1800s,heroin, opium and cocaine were all legal. Syringes for injecting drugs were easily available. Opium was considered a respectable drug because many rich people used it.

-- In the 1830s,the temperance (anti-alcohol) movement came along. Sometimes people make fun of those temperance followers, as if their whole goal was to ruin people`s fun. But alcohol abuse had become a huge public health problem. The people pushing temperance were often the same people opposing slavery and pushing for women`s rights.

-- By the end of the 1800s,drunken driving was a big concern: Drunks would crash their horses and buggies!

-- In 1920,Prohibition made alcohol illegal. Drinking was such a huge health problem that Prohibition seemed to many like a necessary solution. But making alcohol illegal drove it into the black market, and crime soared.

-- Up until the late 1930s,pot was legal. In 1937, its commercial sale and use were banned. Poor people had been smoking pot for ages; but once the white middle class started to use it, lawmakers decided it was time to worry.

-- Up until the `60s,people didn`t worry much about the dangers of smoking. But the 1964 Surgeon General`s report - the first to say tobacco was dangerous - changed all that.

-- In the `60s,candy that looked like cigarettes and pills was popular (ask your folks about the play doctors` kits they had).

-- By the mid-`70s,all substances were considered suspect. And by now science was making important contributions, showing just what drugs could do to a body.

-- By the `80s,the fight against drugs was a parental (and kids`) issue. You can see that with school groups like DARE and protests against the Joe Camel cartoon.

-- Over the years, advertising was often an important part of the whole scene. When it was clear Prohibition wasn`t working, ads encouraged good moms to fight for its repeal so their families wouldn`t have to worry about crime. (The same "good moms" had been told to support Prohibition years before.) Early ads from the cigarette industry would say stuff like, "Reach For a Lucky (cigarette) instead of a Sweet" - meaning it was better to smoke than get fat! All that`s not so different from today, when, say, ads pitched to guys hint that the right beer makes `em a babe magnet.

-- Music has often glamorized drug use as something that daring, creative, misunderstood artists do. (Look at heroin use among rock stars. Of course, if you watch long enough, you`ll see the down side; think of Kurt Cobain.)

You`ll learn lots more at the exhibit (check out the brain scan of the person who did lots of cocaine). It`s at the Chicago Historical Society, at Clark Street and North Avenue, through Sept. 21. You`ll pay $1-$6 to get in. For more info, call 312-642-4600.